Summer Transfer Window 2014

Sport
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[QUOTE=“Rocko, post: 954840, member: 1”]I broke the story on 18th May - http://www.thefreekick.com/board/index.php?threads/liverpool-football-club-2013-14.17555/page-145#post-946166

Other media organisations seem to have picked up on it in the past couple of days.

He’s an excellent prospect, and has been highly touted for some time in Germany, but he’s not the finished article yet.

He wanted to stay at Bayern last summer but Guardiola was fairly adamant that he wouldn’t be getting first team football anytime soon (fairly understandable given the midfield options they have). They sold him to Leverkusen with an option to buy him back but they have to pay a premium to get him back after 12 months, so Leverkusen will get more by selling him this summer than they would if Bayern exercised that clause next summer.

That might explain why he’s moving this summer because he’s only had one season with regular football, and even then Lars Bender was the established holding midfielder at Leverkusen with Rolfes and Castro and Son also featuring most of the time so he was only one of three of four nominal central midfielders which probably made his job easier when he played there. It also meant that he played at full back a bit and even at centre back too I think.

He’s not a particularly energetic midfielder so probably not going to play the Henderson role. I’d guess it’s more an alternative to Lucas or whoever to play with or instead of Gerrard in a slightly deeper role. He’ll probably need a bit of patience though, not just cast aside like Sahin or any number of Liverpool signings who don’t make the grade straight away.[/QUOTE]

Thank you Rocko, it’s safe to say he’s a good prospect but won’t be pulling up any trees just yet so

162

[QUOTE=“Rocko, post: 954840, member: 1”]I broke the story on 18th May - http://www.thefreekick.com/board/index.php?threads/liverpool-football-club-2013-14.17555/page-145#post-946166

Other media organisations seem to have picked up on it in the past couple of days.

He’s an excellent prospect, and has been highly touted for some time in Germany, but he’s not the finished article yet.

He wanted to stay at Bayern last summer but Guardiola was fairly adamant that he wouldn’t be getting first team football anytime soon (fairly understandable given the midfield options they have). They sold him to Leverkusen with an option to buy him back but they have to pay a premium to get him back after 12 months, so Leverkusen will get more by selling him this summer than they would if Bayern exercised that clause next summer.

That might explain why he’s moving this summer because he’s only had one season with regular football, and even then Lars Bender was the established holding midfielder at Leverkusen with Rolfes and Castro and Son also featuring most of the time so he was only one of three of four nominal central midfielders which probably made his job easier when he played there. It also meant that he played at full back a bit and even at centre back too I think.

He’s not a particularly energetic midfielder so probably not going to play the Henderson role. I’d guess it’s more an alternative to Lucas or whoever to play with or instead of Gerrard in a slightly deeper role. He’ll probably need a bit of patience though, not just cast aside like Sahin or any number of Liverpool signings who don’t make the grade straight away.[/QUOTE]

To me the discarding of Sahin after about a month was symbolic of something much graver. I mean Cissohko was kept for the season and we all know how shite he was.

163

Looks like this is a DONE DEAL.

Also looks like the interest in Lallana may be cooling a little.

164

Diego Costa as good as done for £32 million - rumours around that Lukaku will go the other way for £16 million. I think that is a very good deal for Athletico, £16 million and a ready made replacement.

I don’t think either are particularly outstanding players but Lukaku should suit Athletico and will score goals there.

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[QUOTE=“chewy louie, post: 955318, member: 1137”]Diego Costa as good as done for £32 million - rumours around that Lukaku will go the other way for £16 million. I think that is a very good deal for Athletico, £16 million and a ready made replacement.

I don’t think either are particularly outstanding players but Lukaku should suit Athletico and will score goals there.[/QUOTE]

And he’s a good deal younger. Probably a decent deal for both parties on the face of it.

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I think Costa will flop in the EPL. He had a good season last year and is a handful/nuisance on the pitch but I don’t think he is all that great

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I don’t think he’s a brilliant player either but he is an upgrade on what they have and I’d expect him to hit 20 league goals next season if he can stay injury free.

168

Maybe but I doubt it would have cost a lot moe to get someone like Cavani

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Well PSG paid double what Costa has allegedly cost and I don’t think PSG necessarily want to sell him.

170

Phillippe Senderos has joined Aston Villa

David Villa has joined Melbourne Glory on loan from New York

171

Ivan Rakitic is apparently on his way to Barcelona.

172

Carlos Vela looks to be on his way to Atletico Madrid

173

Good signing for Atleti Woof.

174

First big name signing of the summer for Arsenal as Greek defender Elias Hadjitheorodiridis (17) has joined following a successful trial.

175

It’s a start.

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@Rocko

Is this move still happening? It would give Dortmund some decent options in attack if both he and Immobile arrive.

Atleti Woof have signed Benfica’s left back Siqueira for €10m. I think he’s an excellent player, he is eligible for Italy and I’m really surprised Prandelli hasn’t considered him given his propensity to cap non-Italian born players although they do more than likely tend to be players that ply their trade in Serie A. Presumably this means Filipe Luis is off and I would speculate Chelsea is the likely destination with Cole leaving.

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[QUOTE=“Il Bomber Destro, post: 957236, member: 2533”]@Rocko

Is this move still happening? It would give Dortmund some decent options in attack if both he and Immobile arrive.
[/QUOTE]
Yep. He signed a pre-contract back in April.

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Free transfer?

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No. €10m.

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“You’ve only got two years of history.”

Dundee United have pushed relations with Rangers to breaking point. They have declared: “You’ve only got two years of history.”

Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson delivered the incendiary put-down to Light Blues Chief Executive Graham Wallace in negotiations over youngster Charlie Telfer.

Rangers wanted £175,000 to £200,000 in compensation for the development of the player from the age 12 to 18.

But United countered with £50,000, arguing only the time since the 2012 liquidation of the Ibrox club is relevant.

That’s infuriated the Govan outfit, who squashed talks to await the verdict of an independent panel early next season.

It is the latest in a series of conflicts between the clubs, stretching back to United’s involvement in the decision not to allow Rangers to play in the SPL in 2012-13.

In deciding to reject an offer from Rangers in order to switch to Dundee United as a free agent this summer, the Scotland Under-19 cap raised more than a few eyebrows.

Seen as one of the brightest products of the Murray Park youth system, he was tipped as a future Ibrox first team star. Yet if the failure to hold onto the midfielder irked some Rangers fans, it should be nothing to the reaction to news of United’s inflammatory stance in subsequent compensation talks.

Under Scottish regulations, clubs who lose a player under the age of 23 through freedom of contract are entitled to payment for his development and training.

The scheme protects those who invest heavily in youth development, only to see their best prospects snapped up by bigger clubs.

In exploratory talks about Telfer, Rangers — using the ready reckoner for such cases — asked for a payment of between £175,000 and £200,000 for bringing Telfer through from the age of 12. Tangerines chairman Stephen Thompson, though, offered just £50,000.

He dismissed all but the last two years as irrelevant — because in his eyes Rangers only came into existence in 2012.

That stance has infuriated the club and will provoke a similar reaction from the Light Blues support.

The liquidation of two years ago is not disputed. But, they assert, the purchase of business and assets by the new company covered Rangers’ illustrious history, including the world record 54 titles and seven domestic Trebles.

Now, with no agreement reached, the validity of United’s argument — centring on the successful departures of stars such as Steven Davis, Steven Naismith, and Steven Whittaker in 2012 for nothing — is set to be decided by an independent panel. Likely to include a law lord, it should take place early in the new season.

The news will do nothing for already strained relations between the two clubs.

Many Light Blues fans blamed Thompson for the fact the newco was not allowed to join the SPL two years ago. He was involved in the move to open up the vote to all clubs, the catalyst for the so called “Arab Spring” of fan opposition.

With many Rangers fans already annoyed at the Tangerines’ failure to honour tickets for an abandoned league fixture four years ago, the Scottish Cup tie between the pair at Tannadice was subject to a fan boycott.

Since then, there has been the rancour over this season’s Scottish Cup semi-final.

:D:clap: